Disgraced
by Leobracer Silvian
Summary: Self Insert- It all started when I woke up in Lhant just before the game started. It looked simple: just join the heroes, play along, and hopefully find a way back to Earth. I didn't know how wrong I was.
1. Prologue: Diminsional Travel

***Headdesks* Frack, the plot bunnies! They are evil; Evil, I tell ya; EVIL! This plot bunny infected my brain before this stupid game came out, and I apologize if this feels so sudden.**

**Of course, this was going to happen eventually; Tales of Symphonia has God-Knows-How-Many Self Inserts, Tales of the Abyss has several Self Inserts, Tales of Vesperia has a few Self Inserts, and even Mass Effect has some Self Inserts.**

**And I know for certain that when or if Tales of Xillia comes out, it will have its own Self Inserts, but that's merely speculation at this point.**

**Well, without further or do, let the madness begin!**

**Kill me now.**

**Disclaimer: Tales of Graces f is property of Namco Bandai.**

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><p>Okay…<p>

What to do today?

What to do today?

What to do today?

What to do today?

What to do today?

…

Is there really anything worth doing today?

…

Maybe I could play Rift? Nah, I lost interest in it, again. Maybe I could go for a walk. Nope, it looks like it's going to rain. Is there anything to watch on TV? I don't think I watch TV anymore. I'm off from work today, which is a godsend considering how frustrating it was yesterday. Maybe I could play my games. But which one should I play today? Hmm…

…

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon? No, I lost interest. The first game in the Ace Combat franchise to disappoint me. Soul Calibur 5? Nah, not today, maybe some other time. Mass Effect 3? Well, maybe not the single player but maybe the multiplayer? Nope, not today, I'll play another match some other time. Maybe I could play Rayman Origins. Nah, I'm not in the mood for something light hearted. Well, I haven't played Kingdoms of Amalur in a long while, and I'm near the end of it. Eh, I'll finish later. Hmm…

…

Tales of Graces f? Yeah, why not, I've haven't been able to put it down ever since I got my hands on it. I lean over to my left to pick up the remote from the ground and press the power button, and watch the TV light up. I then pick up the controller, and press the PS button, and the PlayStation 3 also lights up. I wait for the start up to finish, for that annoying warning to pass by and it finally approaches the main menu, and the random Background that I selected turns into Pascal. Hello Pascal. Once I finally reach the main menu on the console, I immediately make for the game menu bar, and scroll down to Tales of Graces f.

Once that's taken care of, I wait for the game to load up passing by the Namco Bandai logo, and the others logos as well. I watch the anime intro of the game, which doesn't take long of course; they had to shorten the song in order to fit it into the intro. Though I don't really mind, I love the song anyway, though I care more for the English version of the song than the original Japanese version. I wait for the title screen to load up and press the X button on the control and choose continue. Hmm, how far am I now? Oh yeah, I'm at World's Eye, and I do believe this is my second play through. Oh boy this is going to be a dosey.

The game finishes loading up, and the screen shows Asbel Lhant right on the save point. I move the analog stick to make Asbel take a few steps forward. A second later the screen goes black. Oh boy, I know what's going to happen next. They're all walking towards the staircase. Asbel mentions that they got there before Richard, right before said character arrives on a monster. Boss fight time. I hold down on the square button and jerk the analog stick to motion Asbel to get close to Richard. I lightly tap the analog stick to the right and mash on the X button to use Asbel's A-artes on Richard. I do some damage, but it's hardly a lot. Richard tries to attack, but I keep my thumb on the square button to get Asbel to guard reducing the damage he takes from the guy.

I notice Sophie run up to Richard and attack him with her own A-Artes. That helps me a bit, as it temporarily draws attention away from Asbel. I tilt the analog stick to the right and mash the X button again, attacking Richard with more A-Artes. Cheria and Hubert stay back a bit, attacking Richard with B-Artes, Hubert's being ranged attacks, and Cheria's being spells. And Asbel's out of CC points, time to guard. I watch the CC points regenerate quickly, and renew my attacks on Richard and- Damn it, Sophie's health is low! I quickly open up the menu and select Items, I move down to the Grape Gel, and select Sophie, just in time, Sophie's health is back up. Okay, back to assaulting Richard. I motion Asbel to get close to Richard, again, and begin spamming A-Artes at the guy.

Cheria launches Eternal Rift at Richard, damaging him even further. Hubert than gets close to Richard and attack him with A-Artes. Sophie casts Heal on Asbel, which is helpful, because I didn't notice until now that Asbel's health is low. I motion Asbel to back up by holding the square button and pull on the analog stick, while Hubert launches a frontal assault on Richard. I wait until Asbel's health is good enough, and gets back to getting close to Richard and spam right hand A-Artes on him. Richard has lost a quarter of his health now. This is going to be- Frack! His Eleth Burst has activated! Okay, dodging time! I keep Asbel away from Richard, just as soon as he launches his Blast Caliber on Hubert, which reduces the bluenette's health to nothing but a mere chunk! Oh awesome.

I open the menu again, and use a Grape Gel on Hubert. That saves him. And damn it, Richard's Nova Barrier is up. Time to use B-Artes. I motion Asbel to get close to Richard and slam on the Circle Button, and the red head unsheathes his sword, doing only a mere 1 damage on the psycho blonde. I tilt the analog stick forward and press circle, having Asbel use Concussive Bolt, destroying Richard's Nova Barrier. And the bastard's going after Cheria, I motion Asbel to give chase, too late, Richard's already hit Cheria. I spam forward A-artes on Richard, which gets his attention. I tilt the analog stick to the left while holding square to get Asbel to dodge to the left, avoiding Richard's attacks. I spam left hand A-artes on Richard and, son-of-a-bitch, his Eleth Burst activates again.

I quickly get Asbel to dodge Richard's attacks, hoping to avoid his Blast Caliber. But he uses it anyway, on Sophie! Ah, damn it, Sophie's been knocked out! Okay, menu again! This time I select the Life bottle and use it on Sophie, okay that gets her up again. Now let's see how much health Richard has left. He's at nearly half health. Looks like I'm on the right track. I motion Asbel to get close to Richard again, and launch my right hand A-Artes at the blonde. Blast it, I attacked too soon, his Nova Barrier is up again. I press the circle button again, and launch another Concussive bolt on him, bye-bye Nova Barrier. Back to spamming A-artes. I have Asbel launch left hand A-Artes, while Hubert and Sophie attack Richard as well with A-Artes, and while Cheria stays behind and attacks him with B-Artes.

Asbel, Hubert, and Sophie have Richard cornered, literally to the corner of the Battleground, and he's getting the shit beaten out of him. And speak of the devil, the Heroes' Eleth burst has finally activated. Now it's time to really button mash here. I continuously have Asbel launch forward A-Artes, Left hand A-Artes, and Right Hand A-artes. Once I feel like I've done enough, it's time to launch a level two Blast Caliber. Asbel unsheathes his sword and launches a devastating slash at Richard, with it ending with the moon blasting to pieces. Hubert follows suit with his level one Blast Caliber, Broadside Waltz. And just as quickly as it started, it ends. And it looks like Richard's health is now in between a quarter and a third of his original health.

Looks like I'm on the right track. And there is his Nova Barrier again. Ugh, that thing is really annoying. I hold Asbel back long enough for his CC is regenerate. Once it's full, I motion for him to get close to Richard, but it looks like Hubert has already destroyed the Nova Barrier, so I have Asbel use left hand A-Artes on Richard. And Richard suddenly hits Asbel causing him to stagger, and lose a massive chunk of health. I have Asbel back up and dodge Richard's attacks as much as I can until Cheria, Hubert, and Sophie launch their respectable healing artes. Now that Asbel's health is back to normal, I can renew my assault on Richard.

Richard's health is very low, I'm almost there. I have Asbel get in close to Richard and attack him with right hand A-Artes. Hubert and Sophie get in close as well, and start beating the shit out of Richard. We've got him cornered again, literally. Not twenty seconds later, Richard's had enough, and the boss fight is over. Richard falls to ground; he appears to be resisting Lambda. Asbel and the others try to talk some sense into him. Since I've already seen this before, I know that it's of no use. Of course, I knew that it wasn't going to work anyway. Before the scene ends, Richard pulls up his sword and points it at Sophie. The screen turns to white. Once it's back to normal, everyone has been pushed back, and are on their knees.

And Sophie has been critically injured. Now Richard hovers in midair, with a sinister red aura surrounding him. Cue the anime cut scene. Everyone is running for their lives, Asbel is carrying Sophie on his back, and Richard is building the cocoon. The ship at the end of the scene then sets sail while the cocoon is nearly finished. Of course, I do wonder why they didn't stop at the port in Strahta, and instead sailed all of the way to Fendel. But then again, this is a video game and… oh wait; they're using a Fendelian ship, duh. Of course they would sail all of the way to Fendel. Anyway the scene now shows them… whoa, what's going on? My stomach feels like it's in a whirlpool all of the sudden.

Was it something I ate? Oh man, I don't feel so good. I might as well just save ASAP, and go to sleep on the futon. I press start and skip the scene, and make my way to the nearest save point. I save the game on No. 2. Yes, I want to overwrite. Oy, if I don't get some rest soon, I might throw up. Now that that has been taken care of, I press the PS button on my controller and scroll over to the Turn System Off option on the Console Menu. Once the PS3 turns off, I reach for the remote control and press the power button and the TV turns off. Now that that's out of the way, I reach for the pillow and lay my head on it, and drift off into to sleep. Hopefully my stomach will calm down soon.

Nighty night.

…

…

…

…

…

My eyes lightly open up. Everything's a little blurry.

…

Is this my room?

…

No this aint my room. The ground feels… Rough?

Wait, this isn't event in doors! I bolt up from where I was sleeping. Oh yeah, this is most definitely not my room. What am I doing sleeping on a dirt road? Wait, since when did my trench coat suddenly decide to put itself on me?

WH-where the heck am I?

I look around the area I'm at, I see nothing but grass and… A small town towards what I assume to be the west. Where is-

Oh god, now I feel really sick to my stomach. I fall back onto my back, staring up into the sky. I grasp my abdomen with both of my hands. What in the name of 'somebody upstairs' is going on? I know I felt sick a moment ago, but not like this.

Oh no… My stomach, is about, to-

_Blargh!_

I pant. I stared back up into the sky. My vision is becoming blurry. My insides feel like they're having a parade. What is happening to me? It almost feels as if something is invading my body. Something that I can't see.

But then again, isn't that what every disease is? But this doesn't feel like a disease. It feels as if something is trying to enter my body. Something that my body isn't familiar with. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that it's something that my body is trying to adapt to.

I tilt my head towards the vomit that I puked out not too long ago. Great, there goes the pizza I had earlier today. I think I need to get away from this a soon as possible.

I sit myself up. My stomach disagrees. I don't care stomach, I need to get moving. I get to my feet, and I'm able to stand. My legs feel like their full of fuzz. With some serious difficulty, I begin my walk towards the town. It doesn't make me feel any better, but since when did walking ever make anyone feel any better? It looks like I'm in for quite a walk.

At times, my vision seemingly clears up, but it immediately becomes fuzzy a second later. It seems to be going back and forward. I don't know what's going on, but whatever's going on in my body, it's not something good. Man I hate walking.

Stomach acting up again, oh god-

_Blargh!_

Ugh, there goes even more of my pizza.

Must think happy thoughts.

Must think happy thoughts.

Must think happy thoughts.

Think back to when you got your new TV set for your room on your birthday. Yeah that helps. It was a total surprise.

I also remember when my friend got me District 9 for my birthday as well. Man I was overjoyed to get that movie, especially since I didn't get the chance to see it when it first came out. Of course, I never did get the chance to watch it.

And I remember all of that money I got as well. Grandma gave me twenty one pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and one dollar bills. Well, it was my 21st birthday after all, which meant that I was legal to-

No, no, no, no, NO! Don't you dare start thinking about alcoholic beverages! That's only going to make it worse! Not helping!

Nrgh, how much longer? That town looks so far away.

Frack, I don't think I'll be able to remain conscious very long. I continue walking towards the town.

My vision turns into fuzz all of the sudden. I see little dots scurrying across the edges of my vision. The dots turn into a deep black edge, and I swear I can see my own blood vessels, only they're black instead of red. My vision clears. Everything is now as clear as day. But my stomach is still aching. It seems that I'm still a ways to go until I reach the town.

It seems that my stomach has somewhat calmed down. It's not as bad as it was minutes ago, but it feels as though I can continue walking without much difficulty now. I let go of my abdomen and continue walking towards town. Hopefully someone might help me with my stomach problems.

A minute after my stomach calms down, I come to a stop. I wonder what time it is. I dig into my coat's pockets. Huh, looks like my iPod Touch, Wallet, Cell Phone, Car Keys, LED Flashlight, and 3DS are still in here. Though judging by my location, I'd say I probably can't get any Wi-Fi here. Oh well, might as well make the most of what I can. Anyway, I press the button on my iPod Touch, it says that its 3:45 pm. Well that helps. After checking the time I continue my walk towards town.

It's coming into view now…

Not much more time now…

Just a few more minutes, I will finally-

…

…

…

Uuuuh, what happened?

Did I pass out or something?

Well, this doesn't feel like the ground now. I lift up my right rand and bring to my forehead. I can feel a small scrape on my head. Yep, I definitely passed out. I seem to be in someone's room. This room looks vaguely familiar, though it's probably just my imagination. "Oh, you're awake." A voice I did not recognize.

I turn to face the source of the voice. It's a young girl. She looks familiar, where have I seen her before? That face, that hair, those eyes, that outfit; speaking of that outfit, that skirt looks way too short. I looked away groaning, closing my eyes, and lightly placing my right hand back on my forehead. Man, just where the hell am I? "Hey, sir? Are you feeling better? You don't look well." The girl asked me.

I shake my head. "No, I'm not alright. I just threw up my lunch twice." I responded.

Footsteps. The girl's getting close to me. I feel a hand touch my forehead. "Well, you do feel a little warm. You were found just outside the eastern gates. You weren't conscious when we found you." She said.

Oh yeah, that's right. I was walking towards town today. Though the question is where is this town anyway? I turned to face the strange girl. "Hey. Where am I? And what's the name of this town?" I ask.

She blinks at me. "This is Lhant sir. And we're on the western border of Windor." She answered.

Lhant? Windor? Why does that sound familiar? "Forgive my asking sir, but, what's your name?" The girl asks me.

What's my name again?

Oh wait, I think I know my name, but should I, or should I not give it to her?

…

No I prefer to be honest, so I'll give her my name. "My name is Leonard, Leonard Silva, miss-"I answer.

"Oh, that's right, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Cheria Barnes. It's nice to meet you Mr. Silva." The girl now identified as Cheria replies, offering a handshake.

Cheria Barnes? Where have I-

…

Oh no. Oh no. Oh No. Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, No! There's no possible way that this is…

…

Oh god. Tell me that I'm dreaming!

Tell me, that I'm in my room, on the futon, dreaming that I am in another world!

God, please tell me that I am dreaming! "Mr. Silva, sir, are you alright?"

Son-of-a- How did I not notice that I have my hands over my eyes? I open up my hands and looks directly at Cheria. Cheria. The 'Cheria'! Cheria mutha-fracking Barnes! I sit back up, placing my hands onto my knees. I angrily stare at my hands. My hands turn into fists. "Mr. Silva, is everything alright?"

I shake my head, and look back at Cheria. "Forgive me, Cheria. But… You look like someone I know. Someone who's dead." I half lied looking back at my hands.

That was only half of the truth. "Oh. I'm so sorry sir. You have my condolences." The pinkette replies.

"You don't have to apologize. In fact, I'm the one who needs to apologize for my little freak out there." I said to her.

"You don't need to apologize, sir. I'm sure anyone would have freaked out if they met someone who looked like someone they knew, who was dead." She responded.

A second later, I heard the door open again. "Ah, my dear Cheria. How's our guess doing?" I recognize that voice, it's her grandfather Frederic.

Cheria turns around to face her grandfather. "He appears to be doing fine Grandfather. He's awake right now." She says to him, stepping out of the way, so that we can see each other.

"That's wonderful to hear." I hear Frederic say.

"Nice to meet you Sir." I greet Frederic being careful not to say his name.

Frederic slightly bowed. "The pleasure is all mine, sir. You may call me Frederic, mister-"

"Leonard Silva, Sir." I answered.

"Quite an unusual, but interesting name Mister Silva." The old man laughed.

I lightly chuckled. Right afterwards, my stomach starting aching lightly. "Oh man, not again." I muttered.

Cheria stepped to my side. "Here, let me help." She said.

The pinkette placed her hands a few inches above my abdomen, a second later; her hands began to emit a white light. That must be that healing arte she learned after some of Sophie's particles found their way into Cheria. Yeah, I remember that, and I know exactly where I am. This is most definitely not a dream, especially since I felt that ache in my stomach. I wouldn't have felt that in a dream. Just like how I wouldn't feel what I'm feeling right now from Cheria's healing artes. I am in the world of a video game. I am in Ephinea.

A moment later, Cheria finishes her healing arte. I'm not sure how, but it appears to have calmed down the ache in my stomach. Though, it should have worsened it, because healing artes use Eleth, which is the fuel source on this planet, and I'm pretty sure that it was my sudden exposure to the Eleth is what made me sick. "Are you feeling any better?" She asks.

I open my eyes, and weakly nod. "Yeah, but I could use some more sleep." I reply.

"As you wish sir. We'll leave you alone." I hear Cheria say.

With that, Cheria and her Grandfather leave the room. "Sleep well young sir." I hear Frederic say, before he closes the door.

I sit up on the bed. I need to think about what I'm going to do. I need to know if whether or not this is pre-game or post-game. If its post-game, then I'm in luck, but if this is either pre-game or somewhere in the main arc, than I might have to find some way to join the heroes, so that I could find my way back home. If it even exists. I'm really hoping that this is post-game, as I don't want to have to fight either Lambda or that evil little purple haired bitch in the epilogue arc. But I think it would be best if I get some rest right now, as my body has still not adapted to the Eleth just yet. I lie back down on the bed, and wait for myself to go back to sleep. But for right now, I have only this to say:

Welcome to my Fracked up life.

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><p><strong>So, I need an honest answer here, but did I do good enough?<strong>

**Because I'm no good at analyzing characters, I'm going to do as best as I can to keep everyone in character.**

**And it is for that reason is why updates will more than likely be late as late can be.**

**Be sure to leave a constructive review.**


	2. Prologue: Getting a Job

***Whew* Well, I had a little fun making this chapter.**

**Though I will admit, that it was fustrating to work on it, especially since I'm now getting more hours at work, since one of our employees just upped and ran back to his homestate without anyone's knowing.**

**Though hopefully that won't completely get in the way of the next chapter, hopefully.**

**Anyway, here's part two of the Prologue arc, and not much happens here, other than that... Well, you're just going to have to read to find out.**

**Disclaimer: Tales of Graces f is property of Namco Bandai.**

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><p>I awoke from my slumber.<p>

I wonder how long I've been asleep. I wonder if, oh shit, my coat! I completely forgot about my coat! I was wearing my coat when I was walking to Lhant, but now, it's not on me! Damn it, they probably went through it as well, looking for anything suspicious! Great, now they are going ask question about those devices I had in the coat. Oh lucky me. Well, what am I going to say to them? How am I going to explain what those devices are and-

"Good morning Leonard."

"Dah!"

_Thud!_

Ah, god dammit! I was just scared out of the bed! "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?" That was Cheria.

I turned myself over, and indeed, I see Cheria crouching down near me, her face full of worry. "Yeah, I'm alright. You startled me, that's all." I said to her.

Just shit man. One second, I'm thinking about my coat, next thing I know, here comes one of the characters of the game. But I still haven't figured out if this is post-game or not. With Cheria's help, I'm able to get off of the floor and stand up. That ache in my stomach appears to have calmed down, thankfully. Cheria then hovers her hand right above my forehead, casting her healing arte on it. That appears to have healed the minor wound I got from the fall. Though it does make me feel a bit woozy. I snap out of it, and look down at Cheria. "Hey, do you know where my coat is?" I asked her.

The pinkette nods at me. "Yeah, it's hanging up in the closest." She said pointing at the door across from us.

I nodded at her, and make my way to the closet in question. I open it, and my coat is indeed hanging in it, though I really hope that they didn't go through my belongings. "Say, by any chance did you and your grandfather take anything out of it?" I asked Cheria turning around to face her.

She shook her head. "No, why?" She asks.

I stutter for a moment, before shaking my head. "Nothing really, I'm just hoping you didn't go through my personal belongings." I responded.

"You just looked like another traveler when we found you, Leonard. We didn't really see a reason to go through the coat." Cheria responded rather bluntly.

'Another Traveler', huh? Looks like I got a lucky break, now I won't have to worry about trying to explain those devices in my coat. As she spoke, I put my coat back on me over my red shirt, and black pants. After I put the coat back on, I turned around to look at Cheria. "Hey. Is there anyone in town looking for employment?" I asked her.

She blinked, and then placed her hand right below her chin. "Well, Lord Aston Lhant is looking for another cook, as one of the previous cooks had tried to poison him, but he escaped before he could be apprehended."

Poisoned? Someone tried to poison Aston?

…

It must have been one of Cedric's spies. If I remember correctly from one of the side quests, Cedric tried to pressure Aston to allow Strahtan soldiers to be stationed in Lhant. Aston refused. The bastard probably wanted to get Aston out of the way after he rejected the proposal. Hmm… Maybe I could work there. "Do you think that maybe Lord Aston could hire me?" I asked.

"Probably. Though there are others who are hoping to get the job." Cheria replied.

That sounds good enough. Hopefully I'll be the one to get the job. "Okay, so, do you think you can take me there by any chance?" I asked.

Cheria nodded. "Sure. I go there all of the time. I'll be happy to take you to the Lhant Manor."

I smiled. "Thanks." I said.

She smiled as well. "No problem, my grandfather also works there. I'm sure he could put in a good word for you."

I hope so.

-oOo-

We walked from Cheria's house to the Lhant Manor, which was on the other side of town. Aside from a few odd looks from the townsfolk here and there, nothing unusual happened. Of course, the walk took longer than I thought it would. Lhant seems so much bigger in real life than in the game. But then again, that's to be expected. I don't expect things to be so simple here. I know that if I ever get hit, it's going to hurt. And wouldn't you know it, the Lhant manor is bigger than what it was in the game as well. It actually looks like something that would befit a lord. Now that we are here, I guess it's time I start coming up with a make-up back story. I can't reveal where I'm really from, because who would believe me?

We walk through the garden up to the manor. Cheria then knocks on the door. "Coming." A voice from behind the door answers.

That must be Frederic. The door opens, and sure enough, it's Frederic. "Good morning Mister Silva and welcome back Cheria."

"Good Morning Grandpa." Cheria replied. "May Leonard come in?"

"Might I ask why?" the old man asked.

I take a few steps forward. "I was wondering if maybe I could work here. Cheria told me about the cook." I answer.

Frederic raises an eyebrow. "Yes, I know all about _that_ cook. Such a shame too, because he looked like he had so much promise. But I'm ashamed to say, that someone has already gotten the job. I am sorry."

Great, looks like I'm out of luck. "But, we could use a replacement for one of the, ahem, maids. Lord Aston caught one trying to steal money while he and Lady Kerri were having dinner last night."

…

Oh, looks like I haven't run out of luck yet. "So, does that mean I could be a steward?" I asked.

"Maybe, you'll have to ask Lord Aston Lhant, sir." Frederick answered.

Shouldn't be too hard, all I have to do is just talk to him, right? "But, I'm afraid that Lord Aston is currently in a meeting with Bailey, so you're going to have to wait."

I face palmed. "How long?" I asked.

The butler reached into one of his pockets and pulled out what I assumed to be a pocket watch. Huh, I didn't know Ephinea had clocks. "Shouldn't be too long. In the meantime, I suggest you wait in the guest chambers. Cheria, could escort Mister Silva to Guest Chambers? I'm late to deliver Lady Kerri's tea."

Both me and Cheria nodded in agreement. After our conversation with Frederic, we made our way to the guest room, which from what I remember, was on the right hand side of the manor. As I had expected, the way to get to the guest room was longer than what it was in the game. In the game, all you had to do was walk from the entrance to the right hand door, but here, we have to walk through a hallway to get to the guest chamber. Cheria opened the door for me, and I entered. Hmm, this looks rather relaxing. I take my seat on the one of the chairs. Hmm…

…

You know, I can't believe I just realized this but, judging by their dialogue, its sounds like Aston is still alive, and that means that I'm in pre Main arc. I guess I'm not as lucky as I thought I was. But, maybe, just maybe, I might be able to prevent Aston's death. Yes, I remember how he died off screen; he died trying to defend Lhant. And his death is what convinced Asbel to quit his dream of becoming a knight and take over his father's position. Hopefully, I might be to prevent that from happening. A knock on the door broke my thoughts. "Come in." I heard Cheria call to the door.

I observed the door, and in came Lady Kerri. Wow, she looks even more beautiful in real life than she does in the game. "Good morning Cheria." Yep, that's definitely Lady Kerri.

"Lady Kerri. To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" Cheria asked her, bowing.

"Nothing major Cheria, your grandfather merely told me about our new guest." The bluenette answered. "Are you Mister Leonard Silva, sir?"

I jerked a bit, and quickly nodded. "Y-yes ma'am. My name is Leonard Silva, Ma'am." I stuttered.

Lady Kerri approaches me and we stare at each other for a second. I blink, as I feel a drop of sweat trickle down from behind my left ear. "So, may I ask? Why do you wish to work for us?"

Alright, alibi time. "Well my lady. I was traveling down the eastern highroad from the port to the capital. Half way through my journey, I had stopped to prepare my lunch, but I don't think I cooked it correctly, for some time after I continued my walk down the highroad, I felt my stomach turn inside out. I don't exactly remember when, but at some point I was attacked by a small group of monsters. Because I didn't have any weapon on me, I couldn't fight them off, so I threw my baggage at them to hopefully keep them at bay with my uncooked foods. Fortunately, the monsters seemed to be more interested in the bag than me, so I made a break for it."

"I'm not sure how long I had been running, but sometime after I ditched my food to the monsters, I had passed out from exhaustion. I don't know how long I was out, but I do remember that after I had passed out from running away the monsters, when I had first barely woken up, and it was at that moment that I had lost my lunch. I was dazed for a short while, but I was able to make out a small town into the distance, so I made my way there, or rather 'here', ma'am. Anyway, I don't know how long I had walked, but I do know that I had lost my lunch a second time, and that I passed out again sometime afterwards."

"When I awoke I had found myself in Miss Barnes's home. She told about how I was in Lhant, and about how I was found and brought in. I'm not sure when, but I had remembered that my baggage had all of the money I had saved up for my travels. So when I asked Cheria if I could work here, she said that it was a possibility as one of the cooks had ran away after being discovered that he tried to poison Lord Aston from what I understand. But when we arrive, her grandfather Frederic had said that someone already had the job, but also mentioned that there was a vacancy from when one of the maids had tried to steal from Lord Aston. When I asked if I could take her place as a steward, he said that it was a possibility, but that I had to wait for Aston because he's currently in a meeting. So here we are."

I really hope she buys all of that, as I didn't have a lot of time to think of an alibi. She appears to be thinking at the moment, though I can't say for sure that she's buying it. "You must have had a difficult time. Not many travelers travel alone, or unarmed for that matter." She said, with some pity in her voice.

Oh boy, I think she bought it. "Well, I had heard that monster activity in this area was usually quite calm this time of year. So I thought it wasn't completely necessary to arm myself for my travels." I responded.

"Even so, it's always best to arm yourself for the worse." Lady Kerri replied.

"Well, this was my first time traveling by myself, so I guess you can say that I was careless."

"Perhaps, but it's always best to be safe than sorry."

I lightly huffed in response. "Indeed. So, Lady Kerri, do you know when A- Lord Aston will be finished with his meeting?" I asked.

Just before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Lady Kerri?" That was Frederick.

"You may enter." The Bluenette called out in response.

A second later the door opened. "Forgive my intrusion, Lady Kerri, but the meeting is finished." I heard Frederic speak.

I chuckled. "Just as soon as I asked when the meeting will be over." I said shaking my head.

I heard Lady Kerri lightly giggle. "Perfect timing, I'd say. I'll be sure to tell my husband about your ordeal." The bluenette said, about to leave the room.

"Lord Aston will see you in a moment, Mister Silva." The old man told me.

I nodded. "Thank you sir." I said.

Immediately afterwards, Lady Kerri made her way out the room. I'm sure that it will be a while until I get confirmation from Frederick to follow him to the study. In the meantime, I think I'll play on either my 3DS or my iPod while I wai- Oh wait, I forgot that Cheria is in here. Hold on, maybe I could just say the devices came from Strahta, since from what I remember; Strahta has the most advanced technology on Ephinea. Though I'm not sure if Strahta has something similar to what a 3DS or to what an iPod is. "Hey Leonard?"

Whoa! That woke me up! I turned around to see Cheria looking at me with a curious look. I straightened myself out. "Yes, Cheria?" I asked.

The pinkette puts her hands together and rolls her thumbs. "You said that you came from the Capital right?" She asked.

What was the capital's name? Oh yeah. "Barona, yes. I began my travels from Barona. Why?" I asked, lying again.

She holds her hands closer to her chest. What is she…?

Oh, she must be wondering about Asbel. "Um, is there someone you know living in Barona?" I asked, being careful not to mention Asbel.

This gets her attention. "Yes. Have you by any chance met a man named Asbel Lhant, before you left Barona?" She asked.

Oh boy, this isn't going to end well, I fear. "No ma'am. I never met an Asbel Lhant." I said.

And that kills all confidence in her face. Damn, why did you have to ask me that question Cheria? "I see. That's really all I wanted to know." She said sadly.

I can't really blame her. Even during the childhood arc I could tell that she had feelings for Asbel, and for me to say that I never saw in Barona, even though I've never been to Barona, it just…

Okay, I have no idea how to even put this. To have to lie about not knowing about someone, even though you already knew who they were, yet you never met them in person. This is just maddening. Right after she asked her question the young girl walked away and sat down on one of the beds. Even though she wasn't looking in my direction, I could tell that she was probably about ready to shed tears. Oh man, this is making me depressed. A second later, there was a knock on the door. "You can come in." I called out to the door.

Immediately afterwards, the door opened, and Frederick entered. "Mister Silva, Lord Aston is ready to speak with you."

I got up, and made my way out. "I'll be back soon Cheria." I called out to the pinkette.

"Good luck, Leonard." I heard Cheria say from behind me.

I held my hand up and waved slightly as I followed Frederic out of the guest room. I'll need all the luck I can get. Just like the walk to the guest room, the walk to the study goes through a hallway from the foyer. I wonder how big this mansion is compared to the game. Anyway, it takes merely a minute to reach the study. As we walked through the foyer, I couldn't help but notice that there was someone leaving out the door, but I didn't have time to make out who he was. Even so, that's not important right now. Frederick knocks on the door to the study. "Lord Aston?" he asks.

There was a short pause. "Come in." I heard Aston say.

Frederic than opened up the door, and moved to the side to allow me to pass through. Aston looks up the desk and directly at me. "Come right in, Mister Silva." The redhead called out.

I nodded, and moved up to the desk, with Frederick closing the door behind me. "My wife, Lady Kerri, just told me about your little ordeal. Are you sure you're not injured?" The feudal lord asked.

"Y-yes sir, my lord, I was not injured during my escape from the monsters." I hastily replied.

I swear, if this was a cartoon, I would be seating like mad. I have nearly seconds to come up with an alibi every time someone asks me a question. "Well, I do find it hard to believe that someone who had just started traveling to get away from monsters so easily."

Oh god, this is not good. "Are you absolutely certain that you knew what you were doing when you left Barona for your travels?"

Oh boy. "With all due respect sir, I had mentioned that it was my first time travelling, and that I was careless. And I was fully aware of the season, my lord. Though, you could say, that it was just me not being careful enough."

Oh man, this guy's never going to accept me. I swear I'm not being careful enough while I speak out my lies. He's a lord, and I'm pretty sure he has a way with reading people's behavior. Though judging by that look on his face, I'd say that it's possible that he may be considering making me a steward. But he still looks a bit suspicious. The red head sits back. "Very well then. I guess I can trust you. These are troubling times, and even I don't know who to trust. I trust Frederic told you about the cook?" Aston asked.

I shook my head. "N-no sir, Cheria did. I'm going to assume that no-one was supposed to find out about that?" I asked.

The lord nodded in confirmation. "Yes. But you look like someone I can trust Mister Silva. So can I count on you, to not tell anyone?"

I nodded and held my fist up to my heart, lightly bowing. "Yes sir, my lord. I vow to never let anyone know." I announced.

"Good. I'm sure my wife has your uniform ready by now. You can begin as soon as you're done changing." I heard the guy say.

"You may take your leave. I've got plenty of paper work that needs to be done." Aston said.

I nodded. "Thank you, my lord. You won't regret this." I say.

With that I turn around and make my way to the door. Looks like I've gained Lord Aston's trust, though I cannot be absolutely certain, as he didn't look like he completely trusted me. I can understand that. I mean, someone tried to poison him, and I'm pretty sure he's got a good idea as to who set up that cook. Of course, I already know who it is. Cedric, who else? Still, I do find it rather odd. I mean the guy tried to have Asbel arrested for a crime he did not commit. So why would he try to have Aston poisoned?

…

Unless something else is going on here. Something that never happened in the game. And if that's true, than that could mean that this is going to be even more complicated than I thought. Though…

…

Wait, what about the Fendelians? What if they tried to poison Aston? I know that Fendel is suffering economic strife, and Lahnt does have a huge supply of cryes. And if that wasn't enough, the city is just along the border. Though I'm pretty sure that even that is not what it is either. Something reeks around here, and I don't like it. But I'm getting way too ahead of myself. Right now I need to stay focused on what I have to do right now. And that is going up to Lady Kerri's room to get my uniform. I've already walked up the stairs and I've made my left turn. This mansion really is bigger in real life than it is in the game. And that makes it harder to find Lady Kerri's room. Which room is Lady Kerri's room anyway? "Are you lost Mister Silva?"

Yipe! Who, what, where, when, why, how, what?

…

Oh, it's just Frederick. "Don't sneak up on me like that. I'm really paranoid." I tell the old man.

Said old man bows lightly. "Forgive me, sir, but I heard that you were looking for Lady Kerri, yes?" Frederick asks.

I blink while nodding. "Yes, do you know which room is Lady Kerri's?" I asked.

"The Master's Room is the very last door down the hallway. Lady Kerri and Lord Aston both take up residence there." Frederick answered pointing at the door down the hallway.

Yeah, how stupid of me, to think that Aston and Kerri would have separate rooms. I look back at the old man while walking backwards towards the room. "Thank you Frederick. I guess I should have known that it would have been that obvious." I joked.

Frederick merely chuckled in response. "Be careful when walking backwards Mister Silva." He jokingly replied.

I merely huffed lightly, and turned around to walk straight. It doesn't take even thirty seconds to reach the door. I hold up my hand and knock. "Lady Kerri?" I asked.

A pause. "Come in." I heard the lady call out.

I opened the door, to see Lady Kerri with a set of clothes in her hands. "Ah, I see you're already down talking to Aston. I was just about to take these to you."

We approach each other, and Lady Kerri holds out the uniform to me. I quickly grab a hold of them. Hmm, this looks rather comfortable. "Thank you for the uniform, Lady Kerri. Do you know where I can change?" I asked, right after I examined the uniform.

"There's a room that right near the guest room, to the right. Frederick is usually the only one who uses it, but since you're here, you can use it as well." The blunette replied.

I nodded. "Thank you." I said as I made my way out the room.

"You're welcome, Mister Silva." I heard her say as I left.

Once I was out of the master's room, I made my way to the room that Lady Kerri had told me. I've got much to do. As not only am I working as a steward for a noble, I'm also working to keep him alive. I will use everything in my power to make sure that he survives the Fendelian assault. But first, I will need a weapon, and I will need to train how to use that weapon. I will make sure that Aston lives, I have to. Yet, why can't I shake the feeling that this is going to end bad-

No! I have to keep a positive mind! I will save Aston! No matter what, I will save him! I will prevent his death! No matter what it takes!

* * *

><p><strong>And that concludes part two of the Prologue arc.<strong>

**Next chapter is when Mister Silva begins working.**

**Also, I should warn you, that every so often, on the bottom Arthur's Notes, I might include a rant, that will more than likely be about something that other people will care about.**

**And this is going to be the first one: **

**Arthur's Rant: Vesperia PS3**

**'Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike' has a confirmed North American release date. And it is for this reason is why the demand for 'Vesperia PS3' has really gone up through the roof. Really, I could give two shits less about 'Vesperia PS3', nor do I care about 'The First Strike'. Chances are, I will probaly rent it, but will NEVER own it. Also, 'The First Strike' is not 100% canon to both the XBOX 360 version of 'Vesperia' and the PS3 version of 'Vesperia'. I've heard that there are a few inconsistanties between 'The First Strike' and the game, and I found out about them on TvTropes. And another thing, if 'Vesperia PS3' ever makes it to the States I will NEVER EVER go out and buy it. Because really, what's the point of owning one version of a game, then going out to go buy another version of the game? I don't care that there are some gameplay improvements, I don't care that Flynn gets a promotion from a minor character to a major character, I don't fracking care that there is an additional character added to the game, as well as new towns, new dungeons, new sidequests and so on and so forth! No, I will NEVER buy 'Vesperia PS3', because the 360 Version of the game was good enough for me, end of story.**

**Rant complete, read and Review.**


	3. Prologue: Working in the Mansion

**This chapter is a peice of shit!**

**This chapter was so freaking boring to write, that I wrote chapter four along side it.**

**Yeah, don't mind this chapter, just review the next one.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Tales of Graces f, than I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, now would I?**

* * *

><p>Wow. That outfit actually looks good on me.<p>

I was actually reluctant to put on this steward outfit, but after seeing myself in the mirror with this on, I got to say, it's actually looks good. It, kind of reminds me of that steward outfit that Jude wears in Tales of Xillia. Though, as good looking as this outfit is, the ends of the sleeves do feel a little tight though. So does the very bottom of the grey pants as well. In a way the pants remind me of sweatpants. I kind of like the black vest I put on over the grey long sleeve shirt. And don't even get me started on the piece of cloth that I had to stuff right into where my collar bone is; man that thing was a pain in the but to get right. Still, I think I could get used to this. Well, now that changing is done, I guess I should check up on Cheria.

But right before I make my way to the exit, I hear a knock on the door. "Come." I call out.

The door opens, and Frederic enters. "Ah, I was just about to check up on you, Mister Silva. But I see you're already changed." He says.

I fiddle with the vest. "Yeah, it does kind of suit me. Though, it does feel like something's missing though." I reply.

"Now what could that be Mister Silva?" I heard the old man ask.

I examine myself in the mirror for several seconds. I pat down on my short brown curly hair. Man I wish my hair wasn't naturally curly, it's so freaking annoying. "Well… I can't seem to straighten my hair out." I answered.

"I see. Would you like me to get you some hair gel?" Frederic asked.

I shake my head. "Nah, I don't think it'll be a problem. So where do I start?" I asked.

Frederic cupped his chin. "Well you could start working on the dishes. Lunch is supposed to be ready within the hour." Came the answer.

I nodded. "Okay, where's the kitchen?" I asked.

I didn't need to wait for his answer. "In the foyer, behind the staircase, there are two doors that lead to the dining room. And the farthest end of the dining room, there are two doors on both sides. The food storage room is on the right side, and the kitchen is one the left side. By now the cook should be preparing lunch for Lord Aston, Lady Kerri, Sir Bailey, Cheria, and of course Myself as well. I trust that should be easy to remember?" Frederick responded.

I answered with a quick nod. "Yes sir, Frederick. Thank you for the directions." I spoke up, as I made my way out of the room. I guess I'll just check up and Cheria later.

"Always a pleasure." I heard the old man say.

With that out of the way, I make my way to the foyer, and when I turn to my right, I do indeed see a door there. Man, this mansion is completely different than it is in the game. In fact, if memory serves, there was supposed to be a portrait of Lord Aston, Lady Kerri, Child Asbel, and Child Hubert at the top of the staircase, but I either didn't see it, or it wasn't there. And in the foyer, I think I do remember seeing a cannon somewhere in the game, but it's not there either. I open the door to the dining room. Inside, I see a long table that is being set up by a few of the maids. In the game, the maids all looked the same, I think. But here, they all look completely different from one another.

Along the walls of the dining room, I see several portraits of Aston's ancestors, and one of his father and grandfather as well. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Aston was probably older than he looked, as they all bear an uncanny resemblance to the feudal lord. Though, I'm getting a little sidetracked at this moment. I make my way pass the maids who are setting up the table, and walk towards the door on the left side of the far end of the dining room. I grab the handle and enter the kitchen.

…

Son of gun. This kitchen looks, well, modern. I knew that Ephinea had advanced technology, but I never expected something like this. It actually looks like something that you would see in a basic American Household. The stove appears to be electronic; the oven also appears to be the same way, and the sink? Well, at least there's a spray nozzle at the sink. "Excuse me? Sir?"

Whoah, that woke me up! Standing right in from of me, was the new cook that stole my job. She's staring at me with a curious look on her face. I straighten myself up. "Um, I was told to do the dishes, by Frederick, to prepare for lunch?" I asked.

The young girl blinks. "Oh, you're the steward that Frederick told us about?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Where are the dishes?" I asked.

"They're right there by the sink." She gestures towards them.

I thinly smiled. "Right in front of me." I said out loud.

I walked around the young girl and made my way to the sink. Heh, I wonder how Windor's technology works. I know that the country has an abundance of cryes that more or less stores wind eleth. Maybe wind eleth is similar to the Sylph Fonons from Tales of the Abyss, in that it allows for the manipulation of air and electricity. I remember that 'Thunder Blade' was a wind attributed fonic arte in the game in question. Though…

Wait, Cheria could use lightning like spells in this game. But those spells were Nova Attributed. So I guess wind eleth manipulating electricity is out of the question. But still, that electricity has to come from somewhere, but where. Maybe there was something that I overlooked, but enough rambling; I got dishes that need to be washed. Man, I hate doing the dishes. I turn the red handle, and hot water comes pouring out of the faucet. Where's the, oh there's the dish soap. Interesting, I had no idea that Ephinea was advanced enough to have liquid dish soap. Without hesitating I pour a shot of dish soap into the sink, and bubbles start forming on the surface.

This world is full of surprises. If Windor is this advanced, than I wonder how advanced Strahta is. Looks like I got to prepare these plates. I grab one of them, submerged it into the soapy water, I then picked up the sponge, which I conveniently overlooked, that was lying next to faucet, and began scrubbing the plate. Hmm, this isn't so bad. Funny, this stuff works better than the liquid dish soap back at home. Up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down… Okay I need to stop before I give myself disturbing images. Once this plate is finished, I grab the sprayer, hold it over the plate, and hold down on the handle, and the plate is all rinsed and ready to dry.

I set the plate down and repeat the process with the next one. Hey, something smells good. I turn around, and I see the girl cook making something on the stove. "What'cha makin'?" I asked.

She doesn't turn around but she does answer to me. "Lord Aston asked me to make a steak for him, a flounder for Lady Kerri, a salad for Frederic, a quiche for Bailey, and soup for Cheria."

"And you're making them all at once? That's quite a feat." I responded, while simultaneously scrubbing a plate.

"I've had years of practice." She replies.

Practice she says? I could never make more than one thing at once even if my life depended on it. Hey wait a minute, we never introduced ourselves. "Hey, we didn't get a chance to find out about each other's names, miss-"

"Oh, sorry about that, my name is Sakura Skyrunner." The girl identified herself. "What's your name?"

"Leonard Anthony Silva." I answer as I put another plate down and pick up another one.

Right after I give her my name she comes to a complete stop. She looks almost like she's completely paralyzed or something. I notice a drop of oil from the flounder jump onto her wrist, but she doesn't even flinch. Wha-what's wrong with her? "H-hey is, is everything alright?" I asked her.

That gets her attention. "Y-yes, s-sir. It's just… Your name… It's almost identical to someone who I know." She answers.

…

Nearly identical to someone she knows? Who could she possibly be talking about? I know for certain that it can't be someone from the game. I'm pretty sure that whatever's going down in this world, it's not exactly the same as in the game. Hmm, I wonder. Oh, looks like that's the last of the plates, now I got to get these glasses. Wine glasses. Looks like there are five of them. I know I can't use dish soap on these, so I reach for the plug and drain out the sink. Once the water's completely gone, I reach for the spray nozzle and drain out the bubbles. Now that that's taken care of, I reach for the glass cleaner. Well aint that interesting, it's in a spray bottle, who knew.

I spray the stuff onto the wine glass, and wipe it off with a towel. Hmm, nice shine. I repeat the process with the next four glasses. Round and round he goes, where he lands nobody knows. Oh god, I can't believe I have just remembered that. It's been so long since I've seen Digimon. Though I guess it merely popped into my head because of how I'm cleaning these glasses. Man, I hated that clown. And it seems I'm drifting off into space yet again. Heh, even I surprise myself, because while I went on a trip to space, I finished the wine glasses in no time. Easy one, two, three.

Now that the glasses are taken care of, it's time to get those bowls there. One's a salad bowl; the other is a soup bowl. Oh boy, back at home, I would make no distinctions between bowls. A bowl was a bowl, it didn't matter if I used it for soup or cereal, and I do remember eating a salad at least a few times, but I could never get into them. Well, cleaning the bowls takes no effort what so ever. I think I may come to like this job. Now that the dishes are done, I place them onto the tray and carry them up to Sakura. "Lunch ready?" I asked.

"Just about." She replies.

I set the tray down next to her. "So, where are the drinks?" I asked.

"Oh, they're in the basement. Lord Aston has quite a collection of wines in the basement." Sakura answered.

Wines huh? I'm not surprised. I know for certain that I'm not having any of it. I've already made a vow to never drink any alcoholic beverages. I may be legal, but that doesn't change anything. "Hey, do you think you can hold up one of the plates? The flounder is ready."

And once again, I'm taken out of my thoughts. I grab one of the plates, and held it up until Sakura placed the cooked fish onto the plate. "Don't forget to decorate it."

…

Okay, how am I supposed to do that? Before I could ask, Sakura holds up the steak. I quickly grab another plate, and she places it on the plate. Afterwards, she reaches for the pot with soup in it, while I grab the soup bowl. I carefully hold the thing in my hands while she pours the soup ever so carefully. Once that's taken care of, I place the bowl over one of the plates. Sakura than backs up, opens the oven, and pulls out the quiche. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was the quiche from Ed Edd n Eddy. Though, I still don't know how I'm going to decorate the plates. "Uh, you don't mind my asking, but-"

"You don't know how to decorate the plates do you?" Sakura interrupted.

Mind reader. "Yes. And it wasn't really nice of you to interrupt me." I responded.

The young girl blushed. "Sorry, sorry. It's just… this is my first time on the job."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out. I was told that they replaced the previous cook before I asked to become a steward." I wasn't going to tell her why, though, as I had given Aston my word.

"Well, you could let me do the decorations. While you go get the wine that Lord Aston asked for."

I nodded. "Okay, what am I looking for?" I asked.

She held her jawbone with her right hand. "I think… He asked for something called 'Abyssal Liquidity'." The young girl answered.

Abyssal Liquidityy? That sounds like the name of a fan fic that I read. "Interesting. So where's can I find it?" I asked.

Sakura then pointed her thumb right behind herself. "Just down that door."

Again, right in front of me. That's always the last place I look. Actually, that's the last place that anyone ever looks. The last place that anyone ever looks is right in front of them. I lightly chuckled. I walked right pass Sakura and made my way toward the door. I opened it and then trotted down the stairs. Is there a light somewhere in here? I place my hand on the wall, hoping that I could find a, ah-ha, there it is. I flipped the switch and the lights came on. Those look just like the streetlights in Barona. Hmm, I wonder if they managed to pull this off. I know that the technology on Ephinea is fueled by eleth, and I know for certain that they would have some way to convert into electricity and-

Okay, why is my mind continuously marching down that path every time I find a new type of machinery in this world?

Anywho, looks like I found the wine. Only, which one is Abyssal Liquidity? This stupid shelve is so overloaded with whine that I don't know where to start looking. Oy, I guess I'll guess pick out a random bottle and go from there. Hmm…. 'Barona Vodka'? That's not what I was looking for. 'Dwarven Ale'? Nope. 'Chateau Heimdall'? Na-ah. "Mizuho Potion'? You've got to be kidding. 'Namdai Sake'? Seriously? Why so serious? What the- 'Smirnoff Ice'? The hell is this stuff doing here?

…

Well, never mind that, I got to find 'Abyssal Liquidity'.

-oOo-

'Directus Vodka'? No. 'Gracemeria Ice'? No. 'Chateau Oured', oh I give up. I've been searching his shelve for well over 10 minutes, and I still haven't found 'Abyssal Liquidity'. I place the wine bottle back into the hole on the wine shelf where I found it. Man this is seriously irritating. These things should be in alphabetical order, but no, they just had to be in some random slots all over the place. They're so random, that I haven't the slightest idea where to look for the wine that Lord Aston-

"Mister Silva?"

Whoa Shit!

Ah man, its Aston! I'm in trouble. "M-m-milord? Lord Aston, I can explain!"

"Can't find 'Abyssal Liquidity?" he asked crossing his arms.

I felt a drop of sweat run down from behind my ear. I bit my lower lip. "Y-yes sir." I said dismally.

The lord didn't say anything. He just took a few steps to the left and pulled out something that looked like a booklet from a small shelf that I failed to notice. He opened it up, and then handed it to me. I grabbed it. "This should help." I heard him say.

I looked at the little thing for a moment. Oh there it is. I turn around back towards the wine shelf. Let's see, L14. I reach for the bottle and turn it around. And sure enough, its Abyssal Liquidity. I chuckled nervously. "Looks like I didn't do well on my first day huh?" I asked sheepishly.

"No. You actually did well. You cleaned the dishes like no other person Mister Silva. Though I don't particularly like how long it took for you to find the wine." Aston responded.

I scratched the back of my head. "With, all due respect, I didn't know about the booklet's existence, sir. I apologize for the delay for the wine, sir." I replied.

I heard a light huff come from him. "You worry too much." The redhead said as I handed him the wine.

I straightened myself up. "Is there any afterwards that you would like for me to do, Lord Aston?" I asked.

Said Feudal lord reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. "The garden needs some fertilizer today. This key will get you into the shed that is on the west side of the mansion." he asked.

I nodded in response and he handed me the key a moment later. Oh man, I don't have any experience in this kind of thing. I really hope I don't screw this up. But if it will get me paid, that's all that matters than.

-oOo-

I arrived at the shed in a moment's notice. I take the key out of my pocket, place into the lock and turn it to the left. Now that that's out of the way, I scan the space in front of me looking for the, oh there it is. I pulled on the light switch, and there's that light again. I really want to know how eleth powers these things. I look around the shed. I don't need to look hard to find the fertilizer, as the… spreader, or whatever the hell those things are called, is standing right in front of me, along with a bag a fertilizer in it. Wait, doesn't Aston have a gardener for this kind of thing? Unless he… No never mind, I've got a job that needs to be done. I grab the thing's handles, turn it around, and hull it outside. I've got to be careful not to let any fertilizer out too soon.

The garden in real life is much bigger than it is in the game. I guess having this thing around would make sense. And I'm not surprised that they've made artificial fertilizer. After seeing what the kitchen looks like and those lights, I don't think anything will surprise me now. And now that I'm at the edge of the garden, it's time to start spreading the fertilizer.

I turn the thing around, begin pushing it, and the disk on the bottom begins spinning around spreading the fertilizer. Huh, this thing works. I keep myself on the edge on the flower beds, making sure that the plants get the fertilizer they need. I must say, these flowers are incredibly beautiful. I'm never seen flowers like these. Of course, I haven't seen a lot of flowers in my lifetime, and now is not the time to looking at flowers, I have a job to do.

Within just a few minutes, I finish spreading out fertilizer, and wipe the sweat off my forehead.

Man, this is turning out to be one interesting day. "Finished Mister Silva."

That was Lady Kerri. I smiled in relief, and turned to face her. "Yes indeed ma'am. I've spread out the fertilizer just like Lord Aston asked." I answered.

The noblewoman walked up to the flower bed, knelt down, and held one of her hands below one of the flowers.

Uh-oh. That one looks dead. "It's… wilted." I said outloud.

"It seems that this flower's time has passed. It's a pity too, because this flower was one of the first that I had planted." Lady Kerri said, her voice sounding sad.

Tis a pity indeed. Oh well, that's just how life is. The noble woman gently pulled the wilted flower out of the ground, and held it in her hands. "I'll leave this one in a brooch." She said.

I nodded. "I'll, uh. I'll go put this back." I spoke up, talking about the fertilizer.

Lady Kerri smiled. "Okay. Then after that, can you clean up the pool behind the mansion?" she asked.

…

"Yes ma'am, I'll clean up the pool." I said smiling forcibly.

This is going to be a long day.

-oOo-

Whew, what a day.

8 hours of labor, without a lunch break. Cleaning dishes, finding wine, spreading out fertilizer, cleaning the pool, which was never in the game, and then dusting off the bookshelves, all over the damned house. Hoy, at least Lord Aston paid me after my shift was over. I now have 200 gald. I'm going to have to limit my spending if I ever want to get a new outfit, and a weapon of my own.

Here I am, back in Cheria's house, in her late parent's room, laying on my back on the master bed. Her grandfather lives in the mansion, while Cheria lives alone in this two story house. Man, I'm going to have to get used to this. I heard a knock on the door. "Come in." I called out.

The door opened, and Cheria entered the room. "Have a good nap?" She asked.

I held the back of my neck, which is still full of pain from all of that dusting I had to do. "You could say that." I replied.

The young girl walked up to me, and held her hand onto my neck. "Here, let me help." She said.

A second later, the pain has dissipated, while I noticed a flash of light coming from her hand. I chuckled in response. "That wasn't really necessary, but thank you anyway." I said.

"No problem. Hey, you don't mind my asking, but…" the pinkette spoke up.

I turned to face her. "Yes?" I asked.

She was holding her chin. "Do you mind helping me a bit around the house?" Cheria asked.

I stood up, ignoring the pain that was still in my neck. "I don't see why not." I answered.

She smiled, and closed her eyes. "Thank you. I've been meaning to get rid of some stuff in the basement." She said afterwards, walking out of the room.

I lightly huffed, and followed her. Hopefully I might get a little extra money out of this.

* * *

><p><strong>Leonard's steward outfit is supposed to be identical to one of the DLC outfits that Jude Mathis from Tales of Xillia gets.<strong>

**Like I said in the above arthor's notes, don't mind this chapter, and go review the next one.**


	4. Prologue: A New outfit, and a Weapon

**Okay, now that you've had to suffer through Chapter Three, here's Chapter four, to hopefully ease your suffering.**

**In this chapter, Leonard gets his 'Default Outfit', and a weapon.**

**But, he won't be able to train with that weapon just yet.**

**No that's going to happen in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Tales of Graces f, is property of Namco Bandai.**

* * *

><p>One long week.<p>

One week is how long I've been on Ephinea right now. I've worked for Lord Aston for one whole week so far. Each day was something different, either it was washing the dishes, watering the garden, dusting off the bookshelves, sweeping up the floor or making sure that Asbel and Hubert's room looked the same as it was seven years ago. And each day, the feudal lord would pay me some money. I would also work for Cheria in her house during the evening hours, to get a little extra cash. I've also had to limit my spending, so that I could save up to buy a new outfit and a weapon. And so far, I've accumulated just enough to buy the outfit, and a weapon. I'm going to buy the outfit first, and then I'll get the weapon, as the outfit is obviously cheaper.

Thankfully, Lord Aston decided to give me a day off today, so thus far, I don't have to worry about going to work for today. Finding the weapon shop won't be hard, as I know that it is by the southern gate. But finding a clothes store is a little harder, as there wasn't one in the game, largely because Lhant wasn't as big as it was in the game, than it is in real life. Cheria did tell me that we would pass by it every time we would walk from her house to the Lhant manor. She said to look for a small building with a dress on the sign. I've looked for at least a good 5 minutes, and I have so far, oh there it is. Now that I have found the clothes shop, it time for me to find my 'Default Outfit'.

I open the door, and hear the bell ring. "Good morning sir, how can I help you?" I heard the clerk say from my right side.

I turned to look at the clerk. It's a woman who looks like she's in her early 50s. I approached the clerk. "Good morning ma'am. I came here looking for some clothes." I spoke up.

The woman nodded. "Okay. What exactly are you looking for, sir?" she asked.

I thought for a second. "Do you have; a red trench coat, a white shirt, dark blue pants, black shoes, and white gloves?" I asked.

The old woman rubbed her chin. "As a matter of fact, I do believe that I may have what you're looking for all across my shop good sir. Would you like me to assist you?" She asked.

I nodded. "That would be most grateful ma'am." I replied.

The woman stood up and walked around the counter. "Follow me please." She said.

I obeyed and followed the woman into another room. She then opened up a cabinet and pulled out a tape ruler. "I'll need to measure your size before we begin." She spoke up.

"Alright. I have no problems with that." I said.

The clerk than approached me, while I held out my arms. She then wrapped the tape ruler around my waist. A second later, I saw her reach for a pen and wrote something on a piece of paper. After she finished writing, the clerk than took the tape ruler and measured the length of my legs. After that, she wrote something else down on the paper. The old lady than measured my feet, followed by my arms. She than finished writing whatever she wrote on the paper, and picked it up. "Hmm. Looks like I won't need to be sewing any time soon, as I've got just what you need mister…"

"Silva. My name is Leonard Silva ma'am." I answered.

The woman lightly chuckled. "What an unusual name. Oh, and you don't need to call me ma'am all the time. You can just me Margareta." The woman identified herself.

I nodded in response. "Okay, Margareta. So do you have everything I asked for?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact I do mister Silva. Wait right here." She said.

I saluted. "Okay." I said as she left the room.

So I did just that. I leaned over the wall waiting for Margareta to bring me the clothes I asked for. I'm sure I won't have to wait long. Since this is her store, she probably knows where everything is. Since I've already decided what my outfit is, I need to think about what weapon I'm going to use. Hmm. Maybe I could use a sword? No, too cliché'. Or maybe fisticuffs? Nope, I don't want to have to get right into my enemy's faces. Daggers? No, same thing with fisticuffs. A spear? Too difficult. An axe? Too heavy. A gun?

…

Do they even sell guns? I know that the Fendelians used guns, but did they like import their old models for a little extra cash or…

…

Or maybe Windor has its own guns, but they probably aren't up to par with either Fendal or Stratha. I know that Hubert used guns, but I don't think they have a weapon like that at the Weapons' shop. Maybe they have rifles or handguns, or maybe? Nah, I don't think they have shotguns. I wonder what they do have though? I know I'm not going to choose a bow and arrow. I need something that suits me. Maybe a- "I'm back."

And there goes my train of thought. I looked at Margareta, and sure enough she has the clothes I asked for, along with the shoes and the gloves. I reach for the outfit, and hold the thing in my hands. "Thank you Margareta. Where can I change?" I asked.

"Follow me." She said.

I did just that. I followed her to the changing room, which was on the second floor. "This is the men's changing room Mister Silva. I'll leave to your own devices." The clerk said as she exited the room.

Once she was out of the room, I lock the door, and began changing up.

-oOo-

Who is that guy?

Who is that handsome devil with hazel eyes, Caucasian skin, and short brown hair in the red coat?

Who you ask? Why that's me of course. I stare at myself in the mirror in my new outfit. The trench coat is exactly the right shade of red that I was hoping for, and it reaches down to below my knees, like what I was hoping for. The shirt underneath is as bright white as I wanted. The pants are the correct dark shade of blue. The shoes are obsidian black, just like what I wanted. The gloves are not as bright as the shirt underneath the coat, but that's okay, as I didn't want the gloves to be the same as the shirt anyway. I think I look just like a Tales character now. Heh, that woman knew exactly what I wanted. A Knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Are you finished changing, Mister Silva?" I heard Margareta call.

I turned to face the door. "Yes ma'am Margareta, I'm coming to get the door." I called back.

I approached the door, and unlocked it, allowing Margareta to view me. She smiled. "My, my, don't you look dashing. I'll have your price downstairs." The old lady said as she turned around.

I nodded and followed her down the stairs an up to the counter. She than started typing on something that I assumed to be a cash register. An old fashion one at that. "Alright, the coat was 150 gald, the pants were 15, the shoes were 25, the shirt was 10, and the gloves were 5, bringing your total to…" Before she finished, she pressed a button on the register, and a slip of paper was printed out from the top.

"205 gald." Margareta said placing the receipt down on the counter.

I smiled. I've got more than enough money for that. I reached into the inside of my coat, and pulled out the money bag that I had placed in my right breast pocket. If I remember correctly this one holds 200 gald in it. I placed it on the counter, and reached for another money bag in my right breast pocket. I opened it up, and pulled out 5 coins from it, and placed them right next to the first bag. "That should be exactly 205 gald ma'am." I said.

Margareta thinly smiled, picked up the money bag, opened it, and poured the money over the counter. She than counted the money that was in the bag. After a minute of counting, her think smile turned into a full one, and nodded. "A pleasure doing business with you Mister Silva. I hope to see you again." She said happily.

I than picked up the bag, that had my old clothes in it, and saluted. "You're welcome Misses Margareta. I'm sure we'll meet again in time." I said as I left the store.

Now that I have my 'Default Outfit' it's time for me to get my weapon, so I head to the southern gate, right where the weapon shop is supposed to be, if I remember correctly from the game.

-oOo-

It doesn't take me long to find the weapons shop. Right near the southern gate like it was in the game. And like what I expected, it's nothing like what it was in the game. Instead of there being a window vendor, it really is a store, in a two story building no less. The sword on the sign is a dead giveaway that it's a weapons shop. Anyway, I approach the shop and open the door, hearing another bell ring. "Good afternoon, how may I be of service?" I heard the clerk call out.

I turned to my left to face the clerk. He doesn't look anything like the guy in the game. This guy looks like he's in his late forties. "Good afternoon to you too sir." I replied to him.

"The pleasure is mine. Would you like me to assist you in searching for a weapon of your liking?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No sir, I think I can find what I'm looking for on my own." I answered.

The clerk nodded in response. "Alright. Find the weapon of your liking, and I'll lead you to the nearest trainer." The old man responded.

I saluted and began browsing the glass cases, in which the weapons were stored. I had no idea that this world use glass cases to display their weapons. Then again, I guess it would make sense, since this world does have glass. Not to mention that it's more technologically advanced in real life than in the game, or rather what the game was letting on of course. These glass cases are however, full of nothing but swords, spears and daggers. Not the weapon I'm looking for. I've already decided what weapon I'm going to use, but I need to find it first. The glass aisles don't have what I'm looking for, so I guess I might as well search the glass shelves. Hmm…

Looks like they do indeed sell guns. The glass shelves along the walls farthest from the door have rifles and handguns in them. Interesting. "Eyeballing my gun collection are you?" I heard the clerk ask.

"Yeah. Are these old Fendelian models?" I asked.

"Some of them. Others are from Strahta. And a few of them are Windorian Prototypes. However, guns are expensive to make and to import, not to mention that there's a lot of red tape covering the distribution of firearms, so they're not cheap." The clerk pretty much announced.

He's not kidding. These prices are ridiculous. I mean come on, 5000 glad for a handgun? Even in the United States handguns were not that expensive. Well, since I don't have that much money, and since they are not what I was looking for, I might as well keep looking.

Come on, where are you?

I examine the glass shelves on the wall farthest from the clerk. One has a few sets of bow and arrows, javelins, and throwing knives, but again, not what I was looking for. Where are they? Do they even sell-

…

Son of gun, the glass shelf that was right in front of the door was where the weapon I was looking for was displayed.

There you are my beauties.

There you are, my precious Chakrams.

That's right; Chakrams were what I was looking for. I smiled at the sight of the two beautiful ring blades. And it looks like I can afford them as well, 500 gald. I turned around to face the clerk with my fists on my waist. "Excuse, sir?" I called out.

The clerk's eyes lit up. "Find what you were looking for?" he asked.

I nodded with a bigger smile on my face. "Yes sir."

I took a step to the right and pointed at the Chakrams. "I'll take those Chakrams, sir." I added.

The clerk's smile disappeared. His face was completely devoid of emotion. His eyes were set in stone, and his hands were tightening up together.

I blinked. "Sir? Is everything alright?" I asked.

The clerk blinked a second later, and turned his head over a bit to look directly at me. "Mister, are you sure you want to purchase those Chakrams?" he asked.

I froze. "Um… Yeah." I answered.

The old man then held his hands up close to his chin, and closed his eyes. His face never looking away from the Chakrams.

He grew silent.

Something's telling me I made the wrong choice. "Have you ever used a Chakram before sir?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No. Actually, I've… Never used a weapon before." I answered.

That was only half true. I remember my grandparents letting fire their rifles some time ago. The clerk than placed his hands back onto the counter and took a light breath. "Well… If you truly want to use those Chakrams, you might as well start looking for a teacher. The only person who I know of who can use Chakrams is a hermit woman, named Etteloc, who lives just outside of Lhant. Though I don't think she would just go ahead and train you even if you asked. But, maybe, just maybe…" He immediately spoke up.

…

Okay, maybe what?

I don't understand. A second later, he got up from his seat. "I'll be right back." The clerk said.

Immediately afterwards he opened the door that was behind him and entered the room that was there.

Okay, what is he up to?

Is there something special about these Chakrams, or does he simply believe that I won't be able to handle Chakrams? I remember; I had a lot of fun using Chakrams in Kingdoms of Amalur, which is part of the reason why I chose Chakrams. Still, I can't help but notice something rather… Unusual with these Chakrams.

But then again, I guess I could say that about anything in this world.

A second later, I heard the door open. The clerk was now on the other side of the counter, with a key and an envelope in his hand. "If these are what you truly want, I would recommend you go find Etteloc, who should be living somewhere to the west from here, and give her this letter." The clerk said as he handed me the envelope.

Right after that, he placed the key into the lock on the glass shelf, turned it, and the shelf opened up. He then donned a set of gloves, and grabbed the handles on the Chakrams. Afterwards he walked back to the counter while I followed him. The old man than walked around the counter, and went back into the room behind the counter, with the Chakrams still in his hand.

I stood in front of the counter, and began pulling out some money bags from my coat. The most money that these things can hold is 200 gald. One has 195 gald in it, as I had to take out 5 pieces of gald in order to pay for my outfit. That one, I opened up, and started pulling out 95 gald from it. Afterwards, I then placed the gald pieces into the empty money bag that I got back from the Clothes Store.

That should be 500 gald, and not a moment too soon. The clerk came out with both the Chakrams and a holster for the Chakrams. "The holster belt is going to cost you another 50 gald sir." He said.

I reached back into my coat for the money bag that was empty earlier, and pulled out 50 gald pieces. I then placed them right next to the other three money bags. "That should be 550 gald sir." I spoke up.

The clerk than placed the holstered Chakrams onto the counter, poured out the money bags and began counting.

A minute later, he finished counting and nodded. "Thank you sir. The Chakrams are all yours." He said, showing no smile on his face.

I nodded in response. I grabbed the Chakrams and-

…

…

…

_What the? What's going on? It feels like I'm floating in space._

**You are not Etteloc.**

_What the- Who's there? Show yourself!_

**You are not ready.**

_Ready? Ready for what?_

**You are not ready, for what lies before you.**

_Well, yeah, of course I'm not ready. But why do you, whoever or whatever you are, think I purchased these Chakrams? I need _something _to defend myself with._

**You do not understand what you are going up against. Your knowledge will not be of any use to you. I know of your true origins.**

_Wha- How- Who- Wha- What the frack are you talking about? How do you-_

**This exchange is at an end.**

…

…

…

The hell was that?

What was that voice?

That… That sounded like Sovereign! "Mister, is everything alright?"

…

Damn it! Lost the train of thought! I shook my head, and held the holstered Chakrams in my hands. "Y-yes sir. I just spaced out." I answered as I wrapped the holster belt around my waist.

I needed to buckle the thing around my waist rather than how I would wrap a belt around the top of my pants like I would on Earth. The Chakrams were hanging on opposite sides of my waist, being held up by a buckle. I then hid the things underneath my coat. Just as soon as I was about to leave, I heard the clerk call out to me. "Be careful with those Chakrams."

I turned to him. "I will, sir. I will." I assured him.

The next second, I exited the shop and began walking to the west, where Etteloc was supposed to be living.

Since that strange voice spoke her name, maybe she might be able to tell me more about the Chakrams. I have a feeling that there is something else going on here, something that never happened in the game.

And I can't help but shake the feeling that these Chakrams might be a part of it.

* * *

><p><strong>Yep, I chose Chakrams to be Leonard's weapons of choice. <strong>**It was either Chakrams or a gun, but I figured that a gun would be too expensive.**

**I like Chakrams, they were a lot of fun to use in the Western RPG Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. ****And trust me, he isn't going to figure out how to use them right away.**

**And as for that voice? ****Well, you're just going to have to wait and see, to find out more about that voice.**

**If my calculations are correct, there should be at least 2 to 3 chapters left of the Prologue Arc.**

**Anyways, read and review.**


	5. Prologue: Etteloc

**I know that many of your are concerned with my naming of the Chakram teacher. Well you see, _that was intentional. _**

**I had always planned on giving the Chakram teacher that name. And yes, I'm fully aware that it is Colette spelled backwards.**

**Colette is one of my favorite Tales Characters.**

**Anyway, lets just get on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Tales of Graces f is property of Namco Bandai.**

* * *

><p>I haven't the slightest idea how long I've been walking.<p>

My feet are screaming at me, but I'm ignoring the pain. I am now holding the Chakrams in my hands, staring blankly at them. I have not heard that voice in over god knows how long. If there was one thing that I noticed, is that the Chakrams are covered with runes all around them. I swear to god they look so… Familiar.

But maybe that's just my imagination going to wild. For truth be told, the only reason why they runes look familiar is because they resemble the Ancient Language in Stargate SG-1.

Still, I can't help but feel like something is off here. When I asked for the Chakrams, the clerk became like a completely different person. As if that wasn't even enough, I heard a voice talk to me the instant I laid my hands onto these things.

_**You are not Etteloc.**_

Yeah, I kind of figured that out. And for some reason, I can't help but think that this Etteloc person looks like an older Colette. It wasn't hard for me to figure out that Etteloc is Colette spelled backwards. But what is Etteloc's connection to that voice, and vice versa?

_**You are not ready for what lies before you.**_

Tell me something that I don't know. I don't know how to fight and I know that the Fendelians will attack soon, and I have already made a vow to make sure I prevent Aston from dying. I know that it will prevent Asbel from returning to Lhant, as well as…

…

Oh god, I can't believe I forgot about that. If I prevent Aston's death, than that means no adventure for Asbel. But that would also mean that I might not find my way back home. And if that wasn't enough, Richard will die, Sophie will never be resurrected, Windor will fall into disarray under Cedric's leadership, and Fendel will destroy itself when trying to control its valkines cryas.

Just what is the logic in trying to save Aston?

_**You do not understand what you are going up against. Your knowledge will not be of any use to you. I know of your true origins.**_

Yeah, the fact that I know that Aston is going to die, isn't helping matters. But what good will saving him do? If saving Aston will prevent me from finding a way back home, and causing the world to end sooner than it should, than what is the point in saving him?

And yes, I don't completely understand what I'm up against. I only know what I'm up against, but I haven't the slightest understanding of what I am up against.

And if that voice is connected to these Chakrams, than how does it know that I am from another world?

Okay, my brain is just going around and round in circles again. I return the Chakrams back into the holsters, and refocus on my walking. The clerk only said that she lives in this region, but he never did give me an exact location.

Unless it's that cottage that's in the middle of this trail. Yes, I do remember there being a cottage in the game, maybe that's where she lives. I must have lost track in how far I've been traveling, as I'm there right now.

Oh boy, this ought to be good. I take a small breathe in, and approach the cottage, I take another breathe and knock on the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?" I asked.

Silence. Then footsteps. Looks like someone is home after all. A moment later, the door opens, and on the other side is an old woman, and just as I suspected, she looks like an older version of Colette, probably in her early fifties. Her dress is the same color, only it extends to her knees, and it doesn't have any sleeves. The tights are a darker shade of blue, and instead of wearing boots, she's wearing white stilettos. "Can I help you?" she asks.

I stamper for a moment. "Um… Are you Etteloc?" I asked hastily.

The old woman raises an eyebrow, and holds her arm up on the door. "Yes, why do you ask?" the woman confirmed.

Oh boy, this woman is scaring me. She sounds nothing like Colette. Her voice is full of ice, and her eyes are narrow and soulless. I regain my composure, and pull out the envelope that I was given from the clerk. "I was told to deliver this to you, Etteloc." I said.

Without hesitating, she grabs the envelope, and rips it open. She then unfolds the letter that was in it, and reads it. She stares at the letter for a good 5 minutes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has probably forgotten that I exist. "Um… Is everything alright?" I asked.

Etteloc folds the letter back up, and places it in the left pocket in her dress. "It seems that he never changes. But are you really serious about using those Chakrams that you bought at Riley's shop?"

Riley, that's his name? I thought it was something else. Never mind, I still need to focus on what lies ahead. "Well y-yeah. I have always wanted to learn how to use Chakrams. But I've never had the time to actually learn how to use them, and I intend to return to traveling sometime, hopefully. And um… Well, I was told that you know how to use Chakrams." I answered.

The old woman leaned onto the door crossing her arms and closing her eyes. "Well, learning how to use Chakrams isn't easy. And it won't happen overnight. But, you should consider yourself lucky, that you purchased the Chakrams at Riley's shop. As they will make it easier, but only slightly." The old woman responded.

Okay, easy how? What could possibly make learning how to use Chakrams easier? Unless these runes have something to do with it. "I will teach you how to use Chakrams, but it will take time for you to have a full grasp on how to use them. Is that understood?" Etteloc asked.

I nodded in response. "Good. Now, follow me." She added, closing the door.

I obeyed, and followed her. To where ever we're headed.

-oOo-

We walked for ten minutes from the cottage to an open field, with Etteloc always in front of me. I know that she knows something about these Chakrams. But I guess now is not the time to think about it. When Etteloc stops, I stop. The old woman than turns around and crosses her arms. "Okay, I want you to pull out the Chakrams." She ordered.

I obeyed and pulled out the Chakrams from underneath my coat. "Alright, what's next?" I asked.

Etteloc than folded her arms. "Now I want you to focus eleth into the Chakrams."

…

Oh man, how am I supposed to do _that_? My body isn't from an eleth based environment. But I guess I might as well give it a shot. I mean, how hard can it be? I tightened my grip onto the Chakrams, trying to focus as hard as I possibly can. I feel…

…

Nothing…

I close my eyes and focus harder. I still feel nothing. I open my eyes and look at the Chakrams, nothing appears to be happening. My body probably hasn't fully adapted to the eleth. "This might be a bit harder than I had assumed." No shit Sherlock.

I almost said that out loud. A second later, Etteloc stepped forward and stood about a few feet in front of me. She then crossed her arms, and narrowed her eyes. "Did Riley tell you anything about those Chakrams?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, why?" I asked.

The old woman closed her eyes, held her chin with her left hand and muttered something that I couldn't make out. I guess I might as well go ahead and ask. "Is there something special about these Chakrams?" I spoke up.

Etteloc opened her eyes and sent me an icy glare. Oh boy, I probably shouldn't have said anything. "Do you see those symbols on the Chakrams?" she asked.

I look back down at the Chakrams. Of course I see the symbols. I saw them the instant I saw these things at the weapons shop. I lifted my head back up to face Etteloc. "Yes. I've always known that they were there. Why?" I asked.

She lowered her head, and closed her eyes. "Those symbols are from a civilization that predates the Amarcians. They're supposed to make it easier to channel eleth through solid objects."

…

A civilization that predates the Amarcians? Symbols that make channeling eleth through solid objects easier? What the hell? That was never mentioned in the game.

…

This is really getting confusing here. "Okay. May I ask, what was the name of this civilization?" I asked.

Etteloc lifted her head and faced me. "I'm afraid that it would be in your best interest, if you keep this to yourself. Also, I'm fully aware about your current…" she waved her hand, looking for the right word to say. "Condition. Me and Riley are both capable of sensing eleth. And right now, I can see that you have a small amount of eleth in your body." She crossed her arms. "In fact, in a normal preson, with the amount of eleth you have in your body, you should be close to death by now."

…

Riley, and this woman, can sense eleth? Then that means… "You… You know that I'm not…?" I asked.

Etteloc nodded in response. "And if your friend Riley knew about me, is that why he sold me the Chakrams?" I asked.

"Correct. Riley could tell that you have a small amount of eleth in your body, and that you more than likely wouldn't be able to channel eleth very well. In fact," She held her chin with her left hand. "Judging by how much eleth your body is currently absorbing at the moment, I'd say you'll have to wait another month, until you're ready to be able to channel eleth." Etteloc answered.

One month… Will the Fendelians attack at that time, will it be later, or will be sooner? I really hope it's later.

Hold on a minute? "Um… What exactly does channeling eleth through these Chakrams do? Does it like, make it easier to catch them when thrown?" I asked.

Etteloc chuckled for a second. "As a matter of fact, yes. When the Chakrams recognize your eleth signature, they will always return to your hands when you throw them. However, you must be able to make all of the runes on the Chakrams glow in order for that to work." She answered. "And in order to make the runes glow, you need to be able to channel eleth, otherwise, it won't work." The old woman added.

Interesting. "But a skilled Chakram thrower wouldn't need to channel eleth right?" I asked.

"Yes." Etteloc answered. "But you are not one of them, unfortunately. And you cannot channel eleth either. Fortunately, Chakrams can be used as melee weapons." She added.

It's about damned time. "Alright, when do we begin?" I asked.

The old woman turned to her side and motioned her hand at me. "Follow me." She said.

I obeyed and followed her, back to her cottage.

-oOo-

I'm currently sitting on the ledge in front of the cottage, while Etteloc is busy searching for a practice dummy.

She's been in there for about 3 minutes so far. Still, I can help but feel both shocked and relieved that someone knows about me. Albeit, indirectly of course. She only knows that I'm from another world, but I never said where. Still, I am surprised that there are people here on Ephinea who can sense eleth. I know that in the game, eleth was barely even touched upon. Only that it was the source of power, and life on Ephinea. I wonder what else is there to discover on this planet. I wonder if maybe it's possible that I might find a way back home on Fodra. Fodra's technology is vastly more advanced than Ephinea, so I guess that's my first bet. If I can't find what I'm looking for there, than I'm out of luck.

I tilt my head up, staring up at the sky… Or rather, the Aquasphere. I wonder; if Foscelos is maintaining a thin sphere of water around Euphinea, than how is sunlight reaching the lithosphere? I can't believe I just noticed this, but through the Aquasphere, I can barely make out Foscelos. That giant mechanism that is supposed to be evenly distributing the eleth around Ephinea. I wonder how the Fodrans build it… Or maybe it was this ancient civilization that predates the Amarcians that Etteloc mentioned that built it. Regardless, there shouldn't be any sunlight here in the lithosphere because of it.

I think I'm going to give myself a headache if I continue thinking about it.

"Found it." Looks like Etteloc found the practice dummy.

I turned around, and sure enough, she has the practice dummy. It looks really beat up too. I stood up from the ledge, where I was sitting at. And I approach her as he hold up the dummy with one hand. "Follow me." She said.

I nodded, and followed her again, this time to the small beach that was nearby the cottage. After a few short steps away from the cottage, Etteloc drove the dummy into the sand, keeping the thing in place. Afterwards she took a few steps off to the side, and folded her arms. "Alright, now, I want you to attack the dummy with a melee attack with the Chakrams." She called out.

"Okay." I responded.

I pulled out the Chakrams from the holster. I then charged at the dummy, and slashed its neck with the Chakram in my right hand. I followed up with another slash with the right hand, and then one from the left hand. I then slashed at it with both Chakrams at a steep angle. I cross my arms and slash the dummy's neck with both Chakrams, with both Chakrams going at it from opposite directions. The right hand to the left, and the left hand to the right. This might actually be easier than I thought. I probably won't have to through them after all. "Not bad, but not good either. It's pretty clear that you'll still need a lot of work."

…

Way to kill my confidence Etteloc. Oh what am I saying, of course it's not good, it's my first time, and they say that the first time's the hardest. Oh well. I return to slashing at the dummy.

_Right. Left. Left. Northwest. Cross. Reverse Cross. Left. Right. Right. Northeast. Cross. Reverse Cross._

Rinse and repeat.

_Right. Left. Left. Northwest. Cross. Reverse Cross. Left. Right. Right. Northeast. Cross. Reverse Cross._

Whew.

_Right. Left. Left. Northwest. Cross. Reverse Cross. Left. Right. Right. Northeast. Cross. Reverse Cross._

I thrust the right Chakram, into the dummy's abdomen, and follow suit with the left. A second later, I slam my right foot into the dummy, ripping out the Chakrams, and causing the dummy to tilt backwards. I pant. I must be tired. I wipe the sweat off of forehead with the right sleeve of my coat.

I think I'm going to need to name these Chakrams, because saying either 'the right hand' or 'the left hand' is quite a mouth full.

I sense that Etteloc standing close by. She's holding her chin while staring at the Chakrams in my hands. "How was that?" I asked.

She doesn't respond, she just continues looking at the Chakrams. I look at the Chakrams as well. Whatever she sees, I'm not seeing it. "Holster them."

I look back at Etteloc. "Why?" I asked.

Etteloc directs her eyes to me. "Holster them." She replied with a hint of fury in her voice.

"Okay, Okay." So I did just that, I holstered the Chakrams.

Now what? "Hold out your left hand."

Okay, this is getting strange. Not wanting to entice her wrath, I held out my left hand just like she asked. "Close your hand into a fist, and focus as hard as you possibly can." Etteloc demanded.

I nodded, and closed my hand into a fist. I focused as much as I could into the fist. I have no idea wha-

Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is that? Something is slithering through my arm. Not only am I feeling the blood through my arm pumping harder than normal, I also feel something that is slithering through my arm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that air found its way into my arm and is flowing through it, and right into the fist. "Okay, that's enough, that's enough! Open your hand!"

I cease all form of focus, and open up my left hand.

…

What the hell? There's a small sliver of light hovering above my palm. Etteloc grabs the sliver, and examines it. A second later she throws it away, and it explodes, which was much bigger than what the sliver was. "Oh my goodness!" I shouted.

"It seems that my theory was right." Etteloc said.

Theory? "What theory?" I asked in response.

Etteloc lifted her right index finger. "One; that your body absorbs eleth at a faster rate when put under physical stress." She answers.

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Interesting." I crossed my arms, and took a small step back. "What else?" I added.

The old woman lifted up her right middle finger. "Two…" She frowns. She then looks down at the ground, closes her eyes a second later, and shakes her head. "N-no, never mind. I think it would be best if you did not know."

…

Know what? Is there something about the eleth my body is absorbing that she's not telling me about? "However, I would recommend that you don't push yourself. It would be bad for your health."

Okay, it looks like she wants to avoid the subject. But whatever, I'll find out what it is eventually. "Well, that concludes today's training. Return to me within a month. In the meantime, keep working on your melee attacks." I heard Etteloc say, as she picked up the practice dummy.

As she walked pass me, I decided to follow her back to the cottage. Once we were back, I reached for the nob, and opened the door for her. "That wasn't really necessary, but thank you." The old woman said.

"Anytime." I responded.

Once she was past me, and back into the cottage, I closed the door behind her. Well, she said come back in a month, so I guess that's what I'm going to do. I turned around and made my way back to the road and- "Hold on a minute."

Oh what now? I turned around to see Etteloc standing out the open door. "Yes?" I asked.

"One more thing I forgot to mention." She started. "Never, _ever_, completely trust _Him_. Understand?"

Him? Who is she-

…

Oh wait, the voice. I completely forgot about that voice. I was going to ask her about that, but I guess it's too late now. "I… won't. I don't even… know him…" I replied.

Etteloc blinked at my reply. She then closed her eyes, and slowly began to close the door. "Good." She said coldly before the door closed.

Okay. What was that about? She most definitely knows about the voice, but why did she wait until right now to mention anything about it? And if the voice wasn't the only thing I had forgotten about, I had completely forgotten to introduce myself to her. I can't believe I didn't tell her my name.

There's something else that she is not telling me. After I produced that sliver of light after slashing at that practice dummy, the only thing she had bothered to tell me was that physical stress increases the rate in which my body absorbs eleth. But why? Wouldn't physical stress have the opposite effect? Maybe to an inhabitant of this planet, but me? Something reeks here, and I don't like it. I can't help but feel like there something more going on here. Maybe I could find more answers in Lhant. I guess I better pick up the pace, as it looks like it's about to rain.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I tend to be a forgetful person. Especially when it comes to something important.<strong>

**Arthor's Rant: The So-called 'Chosen' Shipping (ZelosxColette)**

**I would like to know where the fracking hell this came from! Seriously, where was it ever mentioned that Zelos and Colette had feelings for each other? I find this pairing to be monotinous and horrendously cliche'! Hell, its not even supported by canon to begin with! There was nothing in the game that had even the slightest inkling that they felt anything more for each other than respect for each other as fellow Chsoen! All of the evidence in the game points towards LloydxColette, and ZelosxSheena. I find it absolutely ludicrous how people pair these two together, all because they are both Chosen! I hate this pairing even more so than I hate LloydxZelos!**

**Rant complete. Read and Review.**


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